Comments

  6. says

    I wondered if it was a cuttlefish, so I looked it up:

    Bigfin Reef Squid, Sepioteuthis lessoniana, are a common species of inshore squid found from the Hawaiian island’s through the tropical indo-pacific to the Red Sea. Like other members of the genus Sepioteuthis, these squid are sometimes mistaken for cuttlefish due to the large fin that surrounds their mantle; the “Sepio” in their scientific name refers to their cuttlefish like appearance. Sepioteuthis are known for their visual communication, elaborate courtship displays, and size sorted schooling behavior. These fascinating yet common inshore squid are often observed by snorkelers and divers.

    http://www.thecephalopodpage.org/Slessoniana.php

    Interesting squid.

    Glen D
    http://tinyurl.com/2kxyc7

  8. Luci says

    Ghost, that ‘pod is obviously not a Republican.

    He or she is surely fin-tastically gorgeous. Thanks, PZ.

  11. tim Rowledge says

    That’s no squid, that’s a Vorlon medium attack cruiser spooling up the death ray! Run, Johnny, run!

  13. Patricia says

    For some screwball reason this picture made me think of old stills I’ve seen of Isadora Duncan. Beautiful!

  16. Sili says

    Brownian’s right. It looks like something used by the underwater hoodlums from the Disneyficated Little Mermaid – Cephal without a cause.

  17. Holbach says

    Patricia @ 13

    Yeah, almost like the colorful scarf that got caught in the spokes of her motorcycle and strangled her to death. How tragic a loss.
    Patricia: go to the Post- VENN AMBIGUITY, # 78, in answer to yours at # 77. I don’t think you went back after commenting. Check it out.

  21. bernard quatermass says

    It’s beautiful.

    How long before people build a bunch of Starbucks and McDonalds and Wal-Marts where it lives?

  22. Boudicca says

    Chris at #15:
    Are you by any chance a graduate of St. Custard’s? Molesworth is one of my heroes.
    Bou

  24. Patricia says

    #17 – Holbach – Oops! Sorry. I was having more fun last night than I should have, celebrating the egg, and forgot all about it. D’oh!

  25. says

    Wow, that’s so cute.

    But it brings up a thought.

    Why is it we have nifty guys like that zipping around in the water, but 9 out of 10 intelligent science fiction aliens in TV and movies look basically like humans (maybe skinny and with grey skin or more often just with bumpy foreheads)?

    Even the more way-out ones tend largely to be upright, tetrapodal, with a recognizable “head” – though I can think of several notable exceptions.

    Of course, it’s cheaper and easier in makeup and so on if you can make them look human, but surely that isn’t all of it. We have some wonderfully inspiring creatures here on earth (and many more in the past) that they ought to typically be at least as “weird” (to us) looking as.

  26. says

    He/she (it?) is beautiful. I’m wondering how big he/she/it is. There’s nothing in the picture to provide a sense of scale. Does anybody know?

  27. LisaJ says

    Awesome!

    I had no idea these Cephalopods were so diverse until I started frequenting Pharyngula. Thanks for the education PZ.

  29. Patricia says

    Thanks Alcari – That is a nice link.
    But over on the crafter’s thread we are discussing knitting, crocheting and tatting our own!

  30. Bride of Shrek OM says

    efrique @ #25

    IIRC a few episodes of Star Trek- TNG had a race on it called….wait for it…the Calamarians. Basically giant squiddies which, again IIRC, were telepathic (probably cause the orginality of the writers had expired at the word “Calamarians” and they couldn’t be arsed making up a language as well).

    Having said all that I think this particularly squidness looks like one of those majestically carved Maori war boats. Awesomely beautiful and awesomely ..well…awesome.

  31. Patricia says

    Bride of Shrek, OM – Left some idiot bashing comments for you over on the big foot thread.
    I’m off to bed, have to peddle herbs and eggs tomorrow early at the farmers market.

  35. says

    Bride of Shrek

    Patricia
    Woo hoo, tag team troll slaying. Sluts unite!!

    Whoa sounds like fun, can I come…. er, I mean attend ?

  36. says

    Patricia [#13],
    No doubt because it’s an image of grace in motion. It struck me the same way – as an image of dance.